This invention relates generally to positioning aids for animals and more particularly to such aids useful for maintaining animals such as dogs and cats in a selected position while the animals are being subjected to radiographical procedures.
In taking X-rays of cats and dogs it is conventional to use a variety of positioning and restraining aids to ensure that the animals are maintained in a selected position for the time required to complete the radiographical procedure and so that the radiologists and technicians can remove themselves from the environs to avoid exposure to the radiation. These aids typically include, for example, sand bags, straps, foam blocks and tape. While it is possible to obtain satisfactory results using such means they all suffer from serious deficiencies. Many materials, such as sand, are radiodense and will cause artifact production thereby deleteriously affecting the results of the X-rays. The use of these aids also involves complex and time consuming routines of tying and stretching animals as well as the frequent contamination of the aids with often vile smelling excretions.
The most difficult position to maintain is the ventral dorsal view which is generally taken with the animal in the supine position. The combination of having the center of gravity several inches above the table's surface and the weight being blanced upon the dorsal spinous processes, skull and pelvis produces an inherently unstable position with the animal often leaning to a side thereby destroying the symmetry required to accurately read the radiograph. Although dorso ventral views, or sternal views, are generally easier to obtain because the fore and hind legs stabilize the position, deep chested dogs, such as the Borzoi, are not stable even in this position.